Russia Under the Romanovs
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute

This two-part course explores the 300-year reign of the Romanov dynasty (1613--1917), focusing on Russia's transformation from a regional power into a massive European empire. Topics covered range from the rise of the dynasty following the "Time of Troubles" in the early 1600s through Peter the Great's westernization reforms, the founding of St. Petersburg, and Catherine the Great's enlightenment policies, to rapid industrialization, expansionism, and the revolutionary movements in the late 1800s, leading to the dynasty's collapse under Nicholas II. We will also explore ideas and traditions established during the Romanovs' reign that shaped political and economic development of Russia to the present.